Chapter 71: Approaching the Golden Alliance Sect

"Hmm... as far as I know, there should be four in total." Godfrey took a slow sip of his liquor.

"I’d like to enter that competition myself and try to take you as my disciple, even if only for a little while. Unfortunately, I already have too many disciples on my hands."

The old man sighed, swirling what little remained at the bottom of his glass. He watched the liquid spin as if he were genuinely lamenting the fact.

"You flatter me too much, Senior." Kael scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

Godfrey merely smiled, clearly amused.

"Anyway, there are four elders you should pay attention to." He held up four fingers on his free hand.

"The first is the Master of the Divine Sword Pavilion. His position within the sect is even higher than mine, and it’s been a long time since he last chose a disciple. So, it’s quite likely he’ll want to take a look at you."

Kael nodded slowly, taking in every word.

"He’s a great sword master, but he’s famous for his immense contempt for spear users." Godfrey lowered one finger, his tone tinged with mild distaste. "And also for looking at his disciples with interests that go far beyond the teachings."

The old man paused, the corners of his mouth twitching as he fought to hold back his laughter.

"He only chooses handsome male disciples. I wouldn’t recommend picking him, hahaha."

Kael’s face darkened instantly. A chill ran down his spine, and he shuddered just imagining the scene.

Yes, indeed, he’d rather not choose that elder. No way.

Kael was a modern man, but he wasn’t nearly that modern.

Godfrey laughed even harder at the look on his face, shaking his head.

It took the old man a moment to compose himself. He cleared his throat before returning to the subject.

"Well, the second and third elders likely to show interest in you are minor figures, so you don’t need to pay them much attention." He waved his hand, dismissing the two without the slightest ceremony. "As for the fourth elder, everyone knows her as the Maiden of the Sacred Spear."

’Oh... a woman!’

Kael’s eyes sparkled, and he sat up straight without even realizing it. The shadow that had been weighing on his face vanished in the blink of an eye.

"She’s a very interesting figure. A princess of direct descent from the Red Dragon Empire who fled to our sect for unknown reasons." Godfrey took another sip, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret.

"I’m not sure exactly what kind of agreement the Sect Leader made with her father, but the Emperor has never taken any action against her or demanded that she return."

Kael raised an eyebrow, curious.

"In any case, she’s one of the most talented young elders in the sect and a great master of the spear. According to the sect’s rules, every elder must choose at least one disciple every two hundred and fifty years, and her deadline is fast approaching."

Obviously, it was the fourth elder who caught Kael’s attention the most.

His half-sister was engaged to a prince of the Red Dragon Empire, but that prince came from nothing more than a minor branch of the royal family.

He was powerful and wealthy, to be sure. His family possessed as much wealth as the entire Fallen Sword Sect. Even so, he was little more than a small figure in that vast and powerful empire.

A princess of direct lineage, however, was a daughter of the main branch—that is, of the Emperor himself. She was one of the potential heirs to the throne.

She was on a completely different level.

And if she had fled to escape a political marriage, she would be an even better choice—no, she would be the perfect choice!

"If she shows interest in you, choose her. She is a worthy and honorable woman, and I’m sure she’ll make a great master." Godfrey drained his glass in a single gulp and poured himself more, the neck of the bottle clinking against the rim.

"Now, go to your room. It’s the one in the middle. It has arrays that increase spiritual density, so use this time to cultivate and prepare for your advancement to the Golden Core Realm."

Kael didn’t question Godfrey.

He stood up at once, bowing respectfully to the elder before heading down the narrow hallway toward the room.

The door slid open with a soft click as he pushed it.

The room was quite large for a suite inside a flying ship.

There was a compact bathroom, a double bed, and a desk pressed against the wall, along with a cultivation mat in the center. Kael walked over and sat down on it cross-legged.

As he settled in, he felt the air around him grow denser and heavier with Qi, clinging to his skin like the damp before a rain.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and began cultivating.

The rest of the trip was uneventful.

Kael, Seraphine, and Selene stayed in their rooms, cultivating. In truth, there wasn’t much else to do.

Inside Godfrey’s private ship, nothing escaped the old man’s notice. He had total control over every array on board and knew exactly what the three of them were doing at all times.

That lack of privacy made all three of them far more withdrawn than usual.

In any case, the best they could do at that moment was simply cultivate.

The days passed without any unexpected events.

As they drew closer to the Golden Alliance Sect, they soon began to notice the density of Qi increasing.

It was only natural.

The Fallen Sword Sect sat atop a second-level spiritual vein, which was already relatively high by the standards of the Gray Peaks Continent.

Many peasants could only dream of living in such a place.

Even so, that vein was about a hundred times weaker than the one beneath the Golden Alliance Sect, which was fourth-level.

In practice, every few dozen kilometers, the density of spiritual energy doubled, and the efficiency of their cultivation rose right along with it.

Finally, they were approaching the Golden Alliance Sect.